| HEALTH ALERT! |
| The email I recieved: "Yes, there is concern. This newly recognized virus is a highly contageous airborne virus and there are shedders that don't develop the clinical disease, so an animal can spread it without showing signs itself. A small percentage get a severe pneumonia although this IS the exception rather than the rule. The mild form lasts for up to three weeks and is confined to a cough and/or nasal discharge. treatment is supportive with antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection. Pneumonia requires hospitalization and intravaneous fluid support and antibiotics. We are testing any patient that presents with a cough for the virus. Isolation of these patients is important. Ten percent bleach will kill the virus and those who think they have come in contact with an animal that has has it should disenfect themselves and the area that the dog has contacted to prevent transmission to others." BRETT BECKMAN, DVM THE FLORIDA STATE VETERINARIAN'S ADVISORY ALERTS YOU TO A NEWLY EMERGING CANINE RESPIRATORY DESEASE CAUSED BY AN INFLUENZA VIRUS, AS REPORTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, SMALL ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES. http://www.fvma.com/associations/3040/files/influenza%20Notice%20Web.pdf This same virus has apparantly been involved in several outbreaks of severe respiratory disease in racing greyhounds in Florida and other states in the past year. Awareness of this highly contagious virus, which is is different from, and can be more severe than the normal "kennel cough" complex, is important for practioners and kennel operators, especially since there is no rapid test or vaccination currently available. Early clinical identification and isolation of suspected cases, as well as preventative measures in screening boarder with unknown history or early clinical signs, is recommended. The use of flu vaccines approved for other species is contraindicated because of the potential for adverse and possibly fatal reaction in dogs. |
| Just let your vet know that you are interested in any new vaccine, for this disease, when it becomes available. |